


Gilded Cages

by Shadowdoom10



Category: Gravity Falls, Persona Series
Genre: Persona 5 AU
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-26
Updated: 2018-06-26
Packaged: 2019-05-29 01:07:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15061721
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shadowdoom10/pseuds/Shadowdoom10
Summary: Gravity Falls characters with Personas, more specifically Pacifica's awakening.





	Gilded Cages

_**"They seek nothing less than total control over your life."**_ Pacifica doubled over as pain spiked through her head, as though someone was driving a nail through it. Even then, though, she knew the words rang true. Her parents didn't see her as anything more than another tool to build their empire. She heard her mother- _no, not her mother, a construct of her father's warped heart_ \- saying something, asking if she was okay, but the words were distant and rang hollow when her father just watched. She felt Dipper and the others close ranks around her (keeping her father away), and for that she was thankful.

  


_**"The path towards true freedom starts by finding the cracks in the prison walls around you."**_ Another spike of pain, and it was all she could do not to scream at the agony of it all. Her mind flashed through all the tiny rebellions she'd committed since she was twelve: "forgetting" which spoon to use for soup; "accidentally" tearing her "best" dress (her mother's favorite) before a party; "losing" her phone not just once, but ten times; and so _so_ much more besides. Every one of which had been a test of punishment, every one had given her a better sense of her cage's dimensions.

 

**_"And with the proper care, those cracks will grow and grow and grow, until even the smallest push can knock down the once great walls."_** This time, she _did_ scream. Falling to her knees, she screamed and screamed until her voice gave out as her mind flashed through the larger rebellions; becoming friends with Dipper and Mabel; joining the fencing team instead of cheer; refusing to find a sutor (or at least, one that her parents would approve of); getting a job at Greasy's Diner; pulling the lever.

 

**_"Your prison is nearly rubble, there is but one final thing to ask: what is it that you seek?"_** Pacifica's teeth felt like they were being ground into dust as the pain somehow intensified once more, but she still smiled all the same- smiled because the foundations of her prison were set in sand, not stone. Had anyone looked, they would've seen her eyes flash golden.

 

"Freedom," She finally managed to choke out.

 

**_"And who can give you this freedom you seek?"_** This time, the answer came far more easily.

 

"No one but myself."

 

**_"Swear to me then-"_** the voice began.

 

"I am thou, thou art I." Pacifica finished, the words feeling like they were always there, waiting for the right moment to release themselves.

 

_**"Thou who would seek to be the guiding light of their own path, call upon my name and let**_ **nobody** ** _put you in a cage ever again."_** The pressure in her head built with every word the voice- her _Persona_ \- said, until she couldn't see, couldn't _think_ through all the pain.

 

There was a mask on her face now, and that just wouldn't do. Her hands were already reaching for its' edges as the words spilled from her mouth. "I call upon thee, Irene!" And then, for one brief and agonising second, it felt like she was being thrown into the sun itself. But the moment passed, and she stood tall, feeling more alive than she ever had before.

 

So of course her father **had** to flex his control over her.

 

**"Pacifica, cease this pointless rebellion immediately. Think of what it will do to our image if the people knew you were so... unrulely,"** The Shadow of her father spoke, and with every word that passed through his mouth her snarl grew just a little bit louder. Until he drew out the Bell and she finally snapped.

 

"Enough father! I refuse to be apart of the worlds worst chain!" She screamed, and she felt Dipper place a hand on her shoulder. He was with her all the way.

 

Father just shook his head, as if this was a conclusion he'd always known was going to happen. **"Fine, then. If you won't obey, then you'll have to be removed. Destroy them all."** And with that, he turned away from the "failure" his daughter had become.

 

As the Shadows before them warped into their monstrous true forms (all of them unworthy of the time it would take to destroy them), she felt the people around her call upon their Personas as well. Gods and heroes sprung up, and each one looked to Irene and gave a brief nod before turning their attention forward.

 

"Are you ready, Paz?" She heard Mabel ask, and her grin grew vicious as the Shadows closed in around them.

 

"Paz, I like it. Let's tear them apart!"

 

And with that, the walls of her gilded prison came crashing down and her place in this makeshift family of "Thieves" was set in stone.

**Author's Note:**

> I might end up making a more descriptive version of Pacifica's awakening and/or Preston's Palace in the future, but beyond that I'm not planning on doing anything else with this crossover.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed regardless, though.


End file.
